NEW DELHI Senior Akali leader Simranjit Singh Mann fast week sharply reacted to Prime Minister P V. Narasimha Rao omitting reference to the Punjab and Kashmir issues in his address to the Congress rally at Red Fort last week that it showed that the Government would continue its “repressive policies” in those states
In a statement here Maon said “any attempt to dismiss the two as on-issues would cost the country heavily and would have serious repercussions on its polity
He said it was surprising that the Prime Minister should ignore the Punjab and Kashmir problems where the Army and a major chunk of country’s security forces were deployed. In Kashmir particularly the Doda area had been virally “militarized” he alleged.
Mr Mani said the Center instead of finding a democratic solution to these problems had been diverting more funds onwards the security forces which were being increasingly deployed to control the internal unrest over there.
Such “waste full expenditure” had mounted the country’s deficit to the tune of RS 49000 crore he said and added that the share of see unity forces had risen t Rs 10000 crore
Referring to the Pome Minster’s assertion that the Ram Temple Would not be allowed (6 be on: strutted by the Vishwa Hindy Parishad sponsored Gust Mr Mann alleged that Mr. Ra’s failure LO lake appropriate measures on time had resulted in the demolition of the Babar Masjid at Ayodhya.
Now Mr Rag wants to keep the Ayodhya issue alive one way of the other to use it for electoral gains.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 22, 1994
